We will keep fighting

Delighted by fantastic Council results and by our 5 gains – Chris in Chester, Cat in Lancaster, Jeff in Manchester Withington, Julie in Burnley and Margaret in Wirral West.

We saw off McVey and many of our sitting MPs returned increased majorities. However, we lost Julie Hilling in Bolton West, a fine, hardworking and hugely dedicated MP. I am so sorry for Julie and all the activists in Bolton West.

I am also devastated for our fabulous PPCs who didn’t win as it has been a huge privilege to work alongside Lee in Carlisle, James in Bury North, Adrian in Crewe and Nantwich, Amina in Morecambe and Lunesdale, Azhar in Pendle, Will in Rossendale and Darwen, Veronica in South Ribble, Sam in Blackpool North and Cleveleys, Julia in Weaver Vale and Nick in Warrington South. They all so deserved to get elected as did my friend Louise Baldock in Stockton South and many, many other great PPCs across the UK, am also saddened by the MPs we lost.

Labour North West could not have worked harder and I pay huge tribute to Anna Hutchinson and her team and to the army of fantastic activists, organisers, Councillors and trade unions across the region. And we could not have better than Young Labour NW.

We will analyse and we will learn and we will regroup and fight on but now for Ed and all of us, I just feel sad.